Monday, 20 October 2014

Rice Paper Scissors

Sometimes
I forget about why I blog. It’s unfortunate that when I get more involved with
a hobby (such as food blogging!), it will slowly morph over time from hobby to
commitment, and commitment to chore. There are days where blogging feels like a
dead weight to be lugged around on top of my work and study obligations. And in
times like this, it’s good to pause and to remember what led me to food
blogging in the first place – a love of food and new experiences.

After
forcing myself to take a short break, I’m back at Rice Paper Scissors feeling if not like a new person, then
at least somewhat refreshed and more excited about blogging. Though the smell
of fresh paint has long since dissipated, Rice Paper Scissors has only been
open for a year or so, but managed to whip itself up a fanatical following in
that time. Our plans to visit on a Friday after work were thwarted by a 1+ hour
wait, despite arriving just 10 minutes after opening. Oh how I miss not working
8-5!

Rice
Paper Scissors is my sort of bar, where the food is just as revered as the
alcohol. The menu is short and succinct, consisting of two dozen or so (that’s
including the daily specials) street-food-styled dishes taken from South-East
Asia. Most couples opt for the Share
the Love option – any 5 dishes for $55, to be split between two people.
Though not necessarily cheaper than ordering the dishes individually, as they
are all somewhere around the $10 mark, it’s a relief to know exactly how much
food to order, with the added bonus of a predictable bill at the end. The menu
suggested that we ‘use our hands’, and the suggestion is so sincere that we
were given a small finger bowl along with our cutlery. Other street-styled
restaurants, taken note!

Twice Cooked Pork Belly with Chilli Caramel Sauce ($11)

Always
hard to resist is the Twice Cooked
Pork Belly with Chilli Caramel Sauce ($11). Very used to Melbourne’s
serving sizes, I found the four bricks of golden pork belly to be surprisingly
generous, a theme that carried through the rest of our meal. Ribboned with fat
and crackling, the pork belly showed its true potential when dipped into the
sticky chilli jam, which was a harmonious yet spirited blend of sweet and tangy,
and just enough chilli to tingle.

BBQ Lamb Ribs ($11)

The
BBQ Lamb Ribs ($11) were
marinated in a mixture of soy and Mekong whisky, and melted sweetly and
succulently off the bone, helped by a generous amount of fat. Though the
marinade could’ve capitalised from more depth of flavour, the lemongrass and
coriander garnishing the ribs provided a prime opportunity to liven up the
lamb.

Thai Ceviche ($12)

I
really liked the way the Thai Ceviche
($12) was served in a small metal tin. It reminded me a little of the canned fish with black beans I used to eat when I was younger (it’s also the first
image that pops up if you google ‘Chinese canned fish’)

Thai Ceviche ($12)

But
this was a far cry from greasy, preserved fillets of dace. Bright and spicy,
the diced kingfish was mixed with a mouth-watering blend of chilli, fresh
herbs, red onions, and a squeeze of lemon. The texture of the crackers varied a
bit, and some were rather stale and tough, but I was quite happy eating the
ceviche straight from the spoon.

Thai Fried Chicken ($11)

I
had started to regret ordering so many rich dishes by this point, but there was
no way I could’ve gone past the Thai
Fried Chicken ($11). Once again, bonus points for presentation that
reminded me nostalgically of paper boxes of chicken nuggets.

Thai Fried Chicken ($11)

Despite
being golden and crunchy, the batter was actually quite wet. I suspect this was
due to the fact that the batter was actually fairly minimal; instead, the chefs
decided to let the subtle flavours of ginger, chilli, and coriander root soak
into the chicken itself. The meat was tender and incredibly moist, and I almost
burnt myself trying to eat these in my eagerness.

Son-In-Law Eggs ($9)

Son-In-Law Eggs ($9)

Finishing
up our mini-banquet were the Son-In-Law
Eggs ($9). These were a little odd; instead of being soft boiled then
deep fried, the eggs were fried sunny side up, before being blanketed with
herbs and chilli. I’ll admit, it was nice not having to worry about egg yolk
getting everywhere, but I felt that the sauce could’ve used more backbone to it
– too much caramel, and not enough chilli.

Only
minor things stopped Rice Paper Scissors from becoming my new favourite
hangout. Though the service was friendly, it suffered from inconsistency. Our
tiny space along the bar became rapidly cluttered when we were served 4 dishes
within 5 minutes, but when we requested that they slowed the food down, we didn’t
end up getting our final dish until we asked, despite our table having been
cleared. Petty I know, but it’s just frustrating watching all the food go cold
in front of our eyes. Still, Rice Paper Scissors is pretty great, and is the
answer for everyone who can’t be bothered queuing up outside Chin Chin for half
their evening.